Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1899 — Page 3

FARMERS CORNER

Flat-stemmed BlnegraH. A correspondent writes to the Ohio farmer inquiring the name for an enclosed sample of grass. The Farmer teplies that the grass included with this letter is flat-stemmed blue grass, Poa compressa L. It grows in dense tufts, forming a thick but usually intermittent sward. It spreads by, underground stems shown in figure, and hence often, in light soils, rapidly invades the meadows. It is a good grass • In many respects, but is so much less productive than Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis L., that many persons •entertain a rather low opinion of its merits. The specific name, “eompressa,” refers to its flattened stems or culms, in contrast with the commonly •cylindrical ones. This character, with Its short blades and wiry stiffness, permits a ready recognition of flat-stem-

FLAT-STEMMED BLUEGRASS.

med bluegrass; A, In the cut, is a cross section of a stem, and b, of an ordinary round stem grass. Cultivation and Apple Trees. At the Nebraska station a study wps made of the effect of cultivation on the growth of apple trees, the size of fruit and the water contents of the soil. A small orchard was divided into three parts, one of which was cultivated regularly and the other two left in grass and weeds, one of the latter being mowed and the other pastured by hogs. The report says: “Trees in cultivated ground suffered noticeably less from the drought and hot winds of summer than those In sod ground. The foliage was darker and more vigorous in appearance, and there was no yellowing and dropping of the leaves, nor wilting during hot, windy days, both of which occurred with uncultivated trees. Apples from cultivated lgnd averaged ■. nearly 14 per cent Kfrger In weight than those from pasture land and oveK 17 per cent larger' than those from mowed land.”—Grange Homes. How Salt Helps Fertility. While the soda and chlorine of salt have no manural properties, there is often a decided effect from using salt as topdressing for land that has organic matter. Only veTy small amounts ,are used per acre, and thus used the salt hastens decomposition, and this seta free whatever carbonic acid gas or ammonia the organic matter contains. Salt Is usually thought of as a preservative. It. is so when in amounts large enough to pickle what it Is applied to. When carbonic acid gas Is liberated, that acts as a solvent on the inert potash and phosphate that the soil contains, thus often serving in place of those minerals at much less cost than if they were bought and applied. A Brake Block. This is used by teamsters in mountainous regions. A three-cornered block, a, of wood Is fastened by chains or wired to the brake beam of a wagon so that It will drag on the ground about 2 Inches behind one of the rear wheels of the wagon. The driver stops to rest his team, and instead of applying the brake the team is allowed to slacken its traces so the weight of the load will seat on the self-acting chock block.

• EFFECTIVE BRAKE BLOCK.

When the team starts again the team merely has to Btart the load Instead of having to poll against the brake until it can be loosened.—American Agriculturist. Cultivation of Crop*. There are no certain periods for work on a farm so far as the cultivation of crops is concerned. Each crop demands cultivation according to its stage of .growth and the conditions of the land. The harrow and cultivator cannot be used too often. The difficulty is that some farmers limit the number of times a crop should be cultivated without regard to conditions and circumstances. No field can be said to have been well cultivated'as long as a single weed can be seen standing. Small Celery Beat. There is a great difference in the quality of celery, and this makes the else a matter of comparatively llttje account The giant varieties of celery are now superseded in favor of dwarf hinds that are crisp and nutty in flavor. Something, however, depends on the eoll and method of growing. A moist #oil in&kos th® celery grow much fuller

for the quicker the growth the better it is, whatever the variety. Celery that is any way stunted becomes stringy, and if it la checked by drought it will have comparatively little of the characteristic celepy flavor. Pruning Vines In fanner. The chief art in gardening consists in not allowing our plants to have their own willful way, but to make them behave as we want them to. Vines generally make desperate attempts to get to the top of a bush or tree that they twine around, and the lower portion is nothing but a series of naked sterna When we set them to trellises we want this proceeding reversed. We desire as many branches close to the ground as at the extreme iffcper portion of the pole or frame on which they are supported. The educated gardener understands how to do this. The grower of grapes under glass has to know how to do it, as otherwise he would have grapes in the apex of the roof and nowhere else. He applies* the same principle to the growth of flowering vines out of doors as to his grapes und& glass, or to the grapes in' the outdoor gardeh, for that matter, with equal results. The art is very simple. It is simply to pinch out the apex of the strong growing shoots that want to get up still higher, and leave the struggling shoots at the base alone. The growth force, suddenly checked by the topping of the upper shoots, has to be expended somewhere, Just as the sudden stoppage of water being forced through a pipe may burst that pipe. It is diverted to the lower and weaker shoots, which become, before the season is over, as strong as the upper ones. In the hands of a good gardener a grapevine trellis will have fruit over every part of its surface—and have as fine fruits at the apex as at the base. But how rarely do we see these masters of the art; and how simple the art Is, after all.—Meehan’s Monthly.

Ventilation of Horae*’ Stable*. Good ventilation of stables with plenty of light should be for horses in summer. Many horses are kept in underground, stables. This is very bad, especially in summer, when excrement Tots very quickly, filling the stables with ammonia. This is very injurious to horses’ eyes, especially if the stable be rather dark. This causes enlargement of the pupil of the eye, and the change to bright sunlight when the horse Is brought out of the stable often results in making him blind. It is worse If there are one or two small windows where sunlight can come in. The underground stable should in summer be unusued; it is tolerable only in cold weather.

Welsh Heifer. The Welsh heifer shown in the picture Is the property of Col. H. Platt.

WELSH HEIFER.

Gorddlnog, Llanfairfechan, Wales. She Is the winner of first prize at the show of the Royal Agricultural Society of England In Birmingham. Gapes. Since so mapy lose their chickens with this dreadful disease, if it may be called such, I will give what I consider a preventive, says a writer In Practical Poultryman. At from three to fouT weeks old I give a lltle whey to drink that is very sour. Recently I did not have any, and at four week)* of age I found one chicken with gapes. I placed a basin on the stove with a little sour milk in, and after the curd had separated I let It sour a day or so and gave to my chickens, and have seen no more gapes since. Always have plenty of water by chickens so they will not drink too much. Feeding; Clover to Fowls, The very common advice to feed clover to hens as an aid to egg production needs to have a caution attached to it If hens have grain with the clover they will not probably eat too much of the lighter food foT their good. But exclusive reliance on cut clover as winter feed for a day or two may so dog the gizzard with light Indigestible food that when grain is given it only makes the matter worse by furnishing more heating material to ferment In the crop. Wherever much grain is given to fowls they become too fat to lay, and It Is each hens that are most likely to be crop bound. Ridding: Land nf Bushes. Mott farmers are Infested to a greater or less extent with bushes, which are exhaustive of fertility and patience, and are unsightly. They are cut regularly each spring, but continue to come up and multiply. It is a fact not generally known that If they be grabbed up during “dog days,” or at the time when they have about attained their growth for the year, 99 per cent, of them will be effectually killed and thfe rest so enfeebled that they will do but little harm the next season, and can be easily killed at {he second grubbing. Growing; Potatoes Under Straw. Plow the ground deep and pulverize fine. When the weather becomes warm, marie out shallow rows 2% feet wide, drop, your potatoes and cover lightly with Then cover with old hay or dean threshed straw eight or ten inches deep. If straw has wheat left

OUR MANUFACTURES.

HOW THE OUTSIDE WORLD #9 CALLING FOR THEM. What the United States Has Accomplished hr Adhering to the Protectionist Poller of Developing Do* mestic Industries. Remembering the years during which disinterested* free-traders were urging and often reiterating their advice that the people of the United States confine themselves to the pursuit of agriculture, to food-raising and to the production of raw materials, and to leave to other and far more favored countries the business of converting these raw materials into manufactured commodities, It is Interesting to note some of tile important consequences resulting from the disregard of that extraordinS counsel and the consequent estabment of the policy of protection. From’statistics gleaned by the Treasury Bureau of Statistics it appears that manufactures are now forming more than one-third of our total domestic exports. During the last month they were 33.77 per cent, of, the total domestic exports, during the three months ending with May they were 35.50 per cent, and during the fiscal year Just ending they will form a larger percentage of onr total domestic exports than

DEMOCRACY’S CAMPAIGN CRY FOR 1900

—New York Tribune.

in any preceding year, and exceed by many millions the total exports of manufactures in any preceding year. The fiscal year 1898 showed the largest exports of manufactures in our history, $290,697,354, and in the eleven months of the fiscal year 1899 the increase over the corresponding months of the preceding year has been $45,164,000, so that It is now apparent that the exports of manufactures in the fiscal year now ending will be about $335,000,000, as against the high-water mark, $290,697,354 in the fiscal year 1898. This would seem to indicate that we did well to run exactly counter to the views and wishes of our Cobdenite advisers. Iron and steel continue to form the most important, or at least by far the largest Item of value In the exports of manufactures. In the month of May, 1899, the eagwrts of iron and steel, and manufactures thereof, amounted to $8,601,114, making the total for the eleven months $84,873,842, against $63,235,029 in the corresponding months of last yea T—a gain in the eleven months of over $21,000,000. The recent advances in prices of iron and steel caused the belief that a reduction in the exports of iron and steel would follow, but certainly has not been realized up to the present time, since the exportations of iron and steel in the month of May are 20 per cent. In excess of those of May of last year, while those of April are nearly 50 peT cent, in excess of April, 1898. The increase which the year’s exports of manufactures will show over earlier years lends especial Interest to a table prepared by the Treasury Bureau of Statistics showing the exportation of manufactures by great classes in each yiar from 1889 to 1898. The following extracts from it show the exportations in 18®) and 1898 of all articles whose total value exceeded $1,000,000 in the year 1898; 1889. 1898. Iron and steel, and manufactures -0f. .. .$21,156,077 $70,406,865 Refined mineral 0i1... 44,830,545 51,782,816 Copper manufacture* of ...... 2,348,954 32,180,872 Leather, “ and manufactures of.’. 10,747,710 21,118,640 Cotton, manufactures Of 10,212,644 17,024,092 Wood, manufactures of 6,150,281 9,096,219 Chemicals, drugs and dyes 4,792,831 8,65G,478 Agricultural i m p 1 • - . ments 3,623,769 7.609,732 Cycles and parts 0f... 6,846,529 Paraffin and paraffin wax >, 2,029,602 6,080,292 Paper, and manufactures of 1,191,035 5,494,56) Tobacco, m a n u fa etureo of 8,706,600 4,818,493 Fertilizers 988,569 4,339,834 Instrument* for scien**2 *2§| manufacture* 0f. ... 1,644,406 2,557,465 *"”" ***** t, p.r«t manofsc- • tare* Of 831,748 1,961,501 Marble and stone!

HRS HRS Carriages and home cars 1,664,2*4 1,00,88* Gunpowder and other explosive* 880,887 1880.408 Soap 889,808 1.890,808 Musical instruments.. 998,013 ÜB.BBT Starch 272,880 1,871,648 Zinc, manufactures of 28,684 1,389,668 Brass, manufactures of 821,187 1,320,003 Olio, vegetable (omitting cotton and linseed) 244,415 1,287,368 Glass and glassware.. 894,209 1,211,084 Wool, manufactures of 348,949 1,069,632 Palate and painters' colors 507,749 1079,518 Sugar, refined, and confectionery 1,231,921 1,082,376 Stationery, except of paper 474,889 1,006,016 Keep Hands Off! There has been a great deal of foolish talk as to the necessity for a protective tariff having passed, because in some articles of manufacture we are able to undersell the world, and hence our exports of these manufactured goods are Increasing at a magnificent rate. This is a proof of the soundness of the Republican doctrine that a protective tariff does not interfere with the development of onr export trade. The free traders have always declared that a large volume of, manufactured exports Is impossible under protection. We have, daring the past two years, proved the utter falsity of this theory. Don’t go to juggling with the tariff. Let well enough alone. The people of this country have lost, in the aggregate, many millions of dollars by the check to enterprise which has resulted

from the agitation of the tariff question from 1884 to 1896. We are getting ample revenue from the Dlngley bill It oppresses no one. Keep hands off, and let the country go on prospering!— Toledo Blade. To Some Extent Responsible. It is useless to deny that the policy of protection to American labor and industry is more or less responsible for the existlpg deadlock on the wage question between the tin plate manufacturers «nd their employes. Had there been no protective tariff on tin plate there would certainly be no labor trouble In that industry at the present time, and for the best of fill reasons: There would now be no tin plate Industry In this country, and the question of wages could not possibly have come up. It will be remembered that prior to the enactment of the McKinley law there were no tin plate mills and hence no labor troubles. Subjects to Be Avoided. The condition of the United States Treasury at the close of the war, the advance in wages throughout the country, the commercial showing at the close of a year that had witnessed the beginning and end of a successful foreign war, and the international feellrffc of respectful admiration for America under the present Republican administration are subjects avoided by polite gentlemen when talking with Democrats.—lndianapolis (Ind.) Journal. Arrest Disease by Killing: the Patient, The tariff has simply made good times; good times have made it possible for trusts to be profitable. The proposal Is now made by the free traders that the tariff should be done away with, thus doing away with these good times, in order to do away with the trusts. It is much like urging one to cure a painful corn by catting off the foot.—Council Blaffs Nonpareil. Would Rather Not Notice It. The advance in wages of workingmen in various parts of the country goes merrily on, but the Democratic papers are so busy howling at expansion that they fail to notice it at aDL— Cleveland (Ohio) LeadeT. Not to Be Tru«t?d. The American people would far rather hear Mr. Bryan on trusts than to take him for President on trust—lndianapolis (Ind.) Journal. Cape Off. The comedian boarder allowed his eyes to roam around the table until they rested on the strawberries. “Any one,” be said, addressing the sweet singer, “could see that these berries were not brought up right” “And why netr “Because they come to the table with their caps on.” Then the landlady gritted her teeth.

INDIANA INCIDENTS.

RECORD OF EVENTS OF THE , PAST WEEK. Struck by a Lightning Bolt—Rural Mull Delivery System to Be Extended— Ceught by an Undercurrent—Mew Trial for Fiery—Foretold Hie Death. During a heavy thunderstorm Earl D. Simpson met death in a tragic manner. He, in company with Edward Jones, was diving from the Chester River Steamboat Company’s wharf at Chestertown. The swimmer had mounted a pile twelve feet high for the purpose of making a dive, and as he stood poised for the plunge the fatal flash came from a comparatively clear aky and the yonng man fell to the wharf dead. His companion and a teamster and fonr horses that stood scarcely twenty feet away, were shocked, but in no degree stunned by the current. Rural Delivery in Indiana. Rural free mail delivery, which has been in successful operation at several points in the State for some months past, may be greatly extended within the next year. E. H. Hathaway, special agent for the wprk in Indiana, has begun reorganizing old routes and establishing new ones. Many places have applied for the delivery of mail in the country districts, bat Mr. Hathaway does not think- all can get their petitions granted, although most of thorn have the indorsement of Congressmen. He thinks that perhaps twenty new routes will be established within the next year. Boys Drowned in the Wabash. • Five boys were in bathing in the Wabash at Lafayette ,and three of them— Charles Zink, Walter Vellinger and Pan* Held —were drowned. Two boys named Snyder were heroically rescued by another boy named George Miller. The boys were drowned by the under current at the month of Durgee ran, the most treacherous place in the Wabash. None were over 12 years old. Flory Given a New Trial John Flory, whom the jury at Paoli sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of Jessie Burton at Mitchell last November, was granted a new trial by the court on account of errors made in instructing the jury. Flory was taken to the reformatory at Jeffersonville for safe keeping, owing to some fear of mob violence. Preacher Foretells Hia Death. Rev. Qniller Partee died at Martinsville, aged 50 years. He preached at a basket meeting a few days ago, and remarked that he would make no further appointments, as he did not expect to live long. The next day he was seized with brain fever and his premonition was verified. Within Onr Born era. Diphtheria is raging in Patricksbnrg. Martinsville will have a -street fair in August. Barr flour bill, Princeton, damaged SIO,OOO by fire. George Gentry, 17, Boonville, drowned while swimming. Hnston Hood, 22, drowned while seining in Haw creek, near Columbus. C. T. Godford, fanner near Brazil, was drowned while fishing in Eel river. North Vernon has seven churches and eleven saloons, the crap shooter’s limit. James Cook, Carbon, says robbers chloroformed his family and stole $l6O. Harrison Kurz was seriously stabbed near the heart by Albert Blake near Pilot Knob. Alpha McDowell, 3, Kokomo, set fire to her clothing while playing with a box of matches and is dead. Ten cattle belonging to O. M. Tustison, Putnam County, licked white lead from a paint keg and died. James T. Reid, an influential citizen of Sullivan, is dead in Denver, whither he had gone for the benefit of his health. The Peerless flour mill at Mount Vernon, the property of Kauffman Brothers of St. Louis, was destroyed by (ire. Loss SIIO,OOO, insurance $75,000. Elmo Interreiden ,late of the 159th Indiana volunteers, committed suicide by shooting himself through the head while standing in front of his father’s place of business at Vincennes. G. T. McKim of Thorntown has received a letter from Stephen Fell, formerly of that place, dated from Sonth America, which says that for twelve years he has been a slave in a tribe on the upper Amazon.

Mrs. William A. Cullop of Vincennes has been appointed by Gov. Mount an honorary commissioner to the Paris exposition to represent the women of Indiana. Jacob Ellis of Anderson, aged 85 years, has beedme father of his sixteenth child. The mother is but 45 years old. The youngster is sturdy and has good lungs. It weighs ten pounds. The Fairmount zinc spelter works at Fairmonnt were destroyed by fire. The fire was caused by an explosion of gas. About 100 men were employed in the plant. There was no insurance. The plant will be rebuilt at once. Huntsville, the town built on alleged . magnetic iron ore, has been torn to pieces again by an electrical storm and one death—that of Mrs. James Rodgers—resulted. The town has been the mark of lightning each year. Every great storm! is certain to center its worst bolts at that point. Joseph Mosely, colored, a carpenter, was the victim of a peculiar accident at Evansville, and his death will be the result. While engaged in repairing the roof Of a house he started to saw a board for a scaffold. He carelessly sat on the outer edge, though, and sawed between himself and the fastened end. As a consequence when the board broke he plunged down head foremost a distance of eighteen feet between two houses, z William Richards while swimming at Robinson Park, Fort Wayne, was seized with cramps and drowned almost within reach of his companions. Fire destroyed the large farm residence of W. C. Fisher, abont four miles northeast of Franklin. It is supposed the hooafe was set on fire while the family was attending church. One hundred and in Uin tin

SERMONS OF THE WEEK

The -Soul.—The soul is destroyed released to the realm of universal forces by the event of death.—Rev. O. W. Wendte, Unitarian, Los Angeles, , Christ's Divinity.—Faith jn Christ’s divinity may be difficult, bat less difficult than the acceptance of any other possible explanation of bis Dr. G. H. Combs, Kansas City, Mo. Science.—Science knows nothing of J a spiritual world, though it leads the | mind up to problems which require It J to postulate a spiritual world.—Rev. L P. Mercer, Swedenborgian, Chicago, HL | The Divine, Methods. The divine methods are wise in matters of religion as all else. God requires that man shall recognize his duty in spiritual things. —Rev. Dr. Geo. H. Adams, MetbodisL g Brooklyn, N. Y. A Larger Faith.—The religion of a larger faith calls Christian men to a 4 larger and more adequate faith in God as the invincible power of righteousness—Rev. I. P. Coddington, Unlvertalist, Rochester, N. Y. A Primary Conviction.—The idea of | immortality is so ingrained into my whole nature—it is so universal among men—that it seems like a primary conviction.—Rev. M. D. Shutter,, Untver-1 sallst, Minneapolis, Minn. Science.—Science reveals man as God’s likeness, that cannot help being . immortal. Though the' grass seemeth to wither, and the flower to fade away, they reappear.—Rev. Mary B. C. Eddy, Christian Scientist, Concord, N. EL Too Suspicious.—There Is no reaeoKi why a Protestant should not be permitted in a Catholic pnlpk and preach the truth which he sincerely believes. We - are still too suspicions of one another*! —Rev. Cbas. H. Eaton, Universalist, New York City. Coolness and Good Judgment—NeV4H|| was there a time when coolness and. good judgment and close attention to * the fundamental principles of onr government were more demanded than at I present.*—Rev. Dr. Conaty, R. C., Washington, D. C. The Minister’s Duty.—The minister \ must investigate the divine troth. He ; must study the relation of these truths to the life of those whom he teaches, | and he must declare the truth In its! entirety.— Rev. J. L. Barton, Congregb* J tionalist, Bangor, Me. Prove All Things.—ln the name o#| the great and electric age, let us wake up and try to be ourselves. Let w| prove all things, counting nothing toai sacred for onr testing, and hold fast only the good.—Rev. B. Fay Evangelist, Boston, Mass. Absolute Equality.—Absolute ty among men is neither possible norm desirable, but Christians should so ustel their money as to bring about a social 1 state in which universal fellow feeling|| is a possibility.—Rev. Dr. M. C. Pete*i|jii Reformed Church, New York. God as Father.—As Father, the dl*|| cipline to which God subjects us, evea|| in its bitterest severity, must be saln-i tary and saving. It is our good tell seeks. There must be sweetness in *tel| cup of gall.—Rev. Dr. Bebrends, Co»l gregationalist, Brooklyn, N. Y. Truth. Truth is the matching of! thought with reality, and when we findl that our world is a world of thought! relations we must not conclude tSlfl some one thought out these things bM fore we found them to exist—Rev. 11l L. Patton, Presbyterian, PrineetonJS&lg Success of Christ’s Work.—OpposM tion, obstacles, outward hindrances; Rif is not these which will prevent the final > Siccess of Christ’s work in the w<pi|9 ailure or success will be from withiftl the church and not from without—BiS A. E. Woods, Baptist San Francisco, , Onr National Life.—lt is in tion with our national life, that God is now summoning ns onward! as never before. Under the pressure ofl his divine providence we now find ouiil selves as a nation face to face with m*! precedented issues. Rev. W. J. gS|9 Chester, Presbyterian. Chicago, 111. | j The Mysteries.—There are those wfc|jj violently oppose the mysteries whirijl have grown up with religion. They a|(g unwilling to await the process of evojfjg tion to gradually cast it off. In baste they would destroy religion RsefcGj or cast it off with the mysteries.— G. W. Stone, Unitarian, Kansas CHafil Immortality.—lmmortality to a fact! of nature. Coexistent with the oniy|M sal belief and persuasion of a suprtoaM being, of an Infinite, all powerful amp all wise governing power, baa been ,t|» ever-enduring idea of a life beyond tb*l limit of physical death.—ArchbisteiM Williams, Roman Immortality. The epistles Apocalypse are alive with ance of immortality, and all anewol to a true and vital intuition in the tegn man soul, which no people or peragfl can destroy, and which no Mil pW dent of life and history can Rev. R. S. Storrs. Congregationali* Brooklyn, N. Y. at rsß-vpipa*!*